Awards for Development, Evaluation, and Validation of Vaccines and Therapeutics for Infectious Diseases

The review period for full applications for DEV Funding is currently paused. VITAL expects to resume actively reviewing full applications in March 2025

Non-Dilutive Funding to Advance Your Therapeutic and Vaccine Innovations

Are you working on groundbreaking therapeutics or vaccine solutions? VITAL invites startups and university-backed projects to apply for non-dilutive funding ranging from $50K to $200K. This funding supports the development, evaluation, or validation of innovative solutions aligned with BARDA’s mission to enhance pandemic preparedness and health security.

The review period for full applications for DEV Funding is currently paused. VITAL expects to resume actively reviewing full applications in March 2025.

Preliminary Applications may be submitted anytime and are assessed on an ongoing basis. If funding becomes available, organizations may be invited to submit a full proposal outside of the standard funding cycle. Otherwise, VITAL will invite select organizations to submit full applications during the next cycle of review (expected January – March 2025). Click HERE to submit a Preliminary Application.

If your organization does not wish to submit a Preliminary Application at this time but would like to be notified by email when VITAL resumes actively reviewing full applications, please click HERE and fill out this form.

Milestone-based Awards From $50K – $200K
For 6-Month Long Projects

Development

Evaluation

Validation

Of Therapeutic and Vaccine Technologies and Platforms Aligned with BARDA’s Mission To Enhance Pandemic Preparedness and Health Security*.

Startups and projects will receive project management support and regular mentoring from subject matter experts over the award duration (6 months).

Funds Can Be Used To:

  • Demonstrate proof-of-concept for a BARDA-relevant use case of an existing platform technology
  • Demonstrate proof-of-concept for high risk, breakthrough technologies and platforms

  • Advance technologies currently in development to the next milestones and value inflection points

BARDA primarily develops medical countermeasures to counter acute threats and does not support research and development or acceleration in the areas of oncology or chronic disease. However, BARDA does partner with innovators and companies developing platform and multi-use technologies. Applicants can include data from other use cases so long as BARDA funding will be used to support research and development of the BARDA-relevant use cases.

The review period for full applications for DEV Funding is currently paused. VITAL expects to resume actively reviewing full applications in March 2025

Preliminary Applications may be submitted anytime and are assessed on an ongoing basis. If funding becomes available, organizations may be invited to submit a full proposal outside of the standard funding cycle. Otherwise, VITAL will invite select organizations to submit full applications during the next cycle of review (expected January – March 2025). Click HERE to submit a Preliminary Application.

If your organization does not wish to submit a Preliminary Application at this time but would like to be notified by email when VITAL resumes actively reviewing full applications, please click HERE and fill out this form.

VITAL Insights On-Demand:
Watch Our Webinar Info Session

Watch our info session to gain insights into the VITAL Biotech Accelerator Program and Funding opportunities.

FAQs

Innovative vaccine and therapeutic technologies and platforms aligned with BARDA’s mission.

For more information on BARDA areas of interest, visit https://drive.hhs.gov/partner.html.

BARDA also recently released TPPs relevant to some of its areas of interest: https://medicalcountermeasures.gov/barda/tpp.

We are accepting applications from early-stage biotech companies as well as academic and other innovators globally.

We are accepting applications from early-stage biotech companies as well as academic and other innovators globally. Companies and individuals are welcome to apply for both the Accelerator Program and non-dilutive funding from VITAL. Applications will be reviewed independently. Solicitations for both the Accelerator Program and non-dilutive funding opportunities will be open on an annual basis.

  • Application Deadline: August 23, 2024
  • Notification of Awards: By September 30, 2024
  • Program Start: Mid-October 2024

Applications will be evaluated with a particular focus on 1) the ability of the proposed application of the technology to support BARDA’s mission, 2) the uniqueness of the innovation and its ability to address unmet needs, and 3) the capacity for the proposed use of funds to advance the technology to the next value inflection point.

It is anticipated that project milestones will be completed in 6 months from the start of the project, and that the funding will be spent during this time period. Project management and mentor support will be provided during this 6-month period. VITAL and BARDA also understand that unforeseen and unpredicted events happen during development, evaluation and validation activities.

There will be reporting requirements on a quarterly basis, based on milestones achievement, and a final report.

Allow expenses for the non-dilutive funds from VITAL include: direct costs for development, evaluation, or validation activities, and labor for personnel or CROs “doing the work”.

Companies and individuals that receive funding from VITAL will have access to BARDA subject matter experts and other related BARDA resources. Access to these BARDA resources will be managed and coordinated by the VITAL Lead Mentor.

A technology that aligns to the VITAL Hub might also be aligned to some of the other BAN Hubs, including Digital Health and Enabling Technologies. For organizations developing AMR technologies, please also look into BARDA’s Countering Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria (CARB-X) Program supported by BARDA. Organizations should also look into open Areas of Interest for the BARDA DRIVe EZ-BAA funding opportunity and other BARDA funding and partnership opportunities. The decision about which Hub or program to apply to is up to the organization.